KINGSTON, R.I. -- Halil Kanacevic scored 12 points, none bigger than his layup with 34 seconds remaining in the game, as Saint Joseph's edged Rhode Island 57-54 on Thursday.

Ronald Roberts, Jr. led St. Joseph's (18-7, 8-3 Atlantic 10) with 18 points and nine boards and DeAndre Bembry added 12.

Rhode Island (11-16, 2-10) led 33-25 at the break and the Rams' lead reached as much as 10 points early in the second, but St. Joe's erased that with a 9-0 run midway through the frame, and Ronald Roberts' layup with 9:57 tied it at 40.

Papa Ndao's 3-pointer with 4:37 left -- his only score of the game -- gave St. Joe's a 5-point lead. URI's Gilvydas Biruta's layup with 2:21 left cut the deficit to one at 55-54, but Kanacevic's layup with 34 seconds left sealed the win.

E.C. Matthews led Rhode Island with 17 points and Biruta finished with 10.